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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27089260">Ever Been in Love?</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/sanctum_c/pseuds/sanctum_c'>sanctum_c</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Promise Week 2019 [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Bisexual Character, Bisexual Female Character, Childhood, Childhood Memories, F/M, Female Friendship, Getting to Know Each Other, Girls Kissing, Implied/Referenced Sex, Introspection, Living Together, Love, Memories, Midgar (Compilation of FFVII), Not Before Crisis (Compilation of FFVII) Compliant, Not Compilation of Final Fantasy VII Compliant, Not Crisis Core (Compilation of FFVII) Compliant, Not Dirge of Cerberus (Compilation of FFVII) Compliant, Not Final Fantasy VII Remake Compliant, POV Tifa Lockhart, Pre-Canon, Pre-Final Fantasy VII, Pre-Relationship, Promises, Relationship(s), Reminiscing, Roommates, Sharing a Room, Talking, Teen Romance, talking about past romance</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2019-12-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2019-12-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-09 03:00:09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,536</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27089260</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/sanctum_c/pseuds/sanctum_c</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Day two of living with Jessie and she had grasped Tifa was reluctant to talk about what she had done before arriving in the city and where. But Jessie was curious and wanted to know more about her new friend. “Tifa? Have you ever been in love?”</i>
</p><hr/><p>Jessie and Tifa discuss past romance.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Tifa Lockhart &amp; Jessie, Tifa Lockhart/Cloud Strife</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Promise Week 2019 [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1977151</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Ever Been in Love?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Written for the prompt 'The Promise'</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Day two of living with Jessie and she had grasped Tifa was reluctant to talk about what she had done before arriving in the city and where. But Jessie was curious and wanted to know more about her new friend. “Tifa?”</p><p>The want adverts not exactly fascinating reason, but essential given the ever present threat of losing this apartment and unable to eat. Jessie was on the bed opposite Tifa, a slim volume. The colourful cover boasted a girl with pink-hair holding a sword. “Jessie?”</p><p>Her room-mate smiled and met her gaze. “Have you ever been in love?”</p><p>“What?” Flustered now, heart sped up. “I- You don’t beat around the bush.”</p><p>Jessie shrugged. “I’m curious. Still getting to know you – even if we are living together. And...” She studied the front of her book again. “And I’m curious. I mean, I know your favourite colour, your favourite meal. What you like to watch on TV, what films you like. And what jobs you’re looking for. But-“</p><p>Tifa sighed and struggled to sit upright and cross-legged on her bed. “And I take it, this is not something I can answer by saying I loved my parents.” Foolish. Should not have it so flippantly. Too recent, her father’s body lying outside the Mako Reactor, the Masamune-</p><p>“Oh no. No, no no.” Jessie interrupted the thought with a grin. “You know what kind of thing I’m asking.”</p><p>“You first.” As if she had much to reveal or admit or boast or confess to. But vital to gauge to the level of detail Jessie wanted.</p><p>“Oh. Well, fair’s fair. I guess.” She licked her lips. “I have. A few times. And-“ Some avoiding Tifa’s gaze. “Some occasions where I’ve been involved with someone for reasons and nothing to do with love.” She leant forward.</p><p>The answer came almost automatically and without internal interrogation. “I might have – eventually. If he- If-“ It he’d come back. If he’d been how she imagined for those two years after he left. If the spark between them at the Water Tower could have developed. “But not yet.”</p><p>“Awww. Come on. You have to give me more than that.” Jessie folded her arms. “That’s nothing.”</p><p>“You weren’t that much more forthcoming.” Tifa fixed Jessie with another look. “You tell me about your first love, and I’ll tell you about- Him.”</p><p>“Fair.” Jessie exhaled. “Okay. So this was when I was thirteen-“</p><p>“Thirteen?” The point in Tifa’s life when the youth of Nibelheim started abandoning the town for bright lights of the big city. When the notion of what a relationship meant outside of childhood; there was more – much more – to interactions than merely kissing. Both physically and emotionally. Tifa knew the broad strokes at the time, accumulated bits and pieces of gossip, overheard conversations by adults less concerned about those around them, inferences and more explicit depictions in books, magazines and the odd episode of something on TV.</p><p>The point where kissing seemed like something to try but the rest of it- The rest of it required a lowering of defences beyond anything Tifa could countenance. She blinked. Jessie was still relating her own story. “-and we looked at each other and-“ Jessie grinned. “I kissed her. Oh it was good and I fell for her hard.” A flicker of pain across her face. “But turned out she was already in love with this other girl a year older than me and they wound up getting closer.” Jessie grimaced. “Not fun to witness. I got over it. Okay. Now you.”</p><p>Damn. Missed too much of her story. Still; Jessie’s went a good deal further than Tifa’s would. “I was the popular one believe it or not-“</p><p>“Believe it or not?” Jessie scoffed. “Tifa, you’re gorgeous.”</p><p>Her cheeks warmed. “-and all the boys wanted to be my friend. Most wanted to leave town as soon as they could. Not a lot of career choices there.”</p><p>Jessie nodded along. “Take over the family business or apprentice to someone or leave. Guess that’s the choices you get.”</p><p>“Right. Me, I sort of did something else with the guide work but- Anyway. I don’t know if I had crushes or anything back then. But the boys.” A glance down; so much attention from her friends, so much interest in what she wore and- Too many stares at times. Honestly despite the loneliness it was more comfortable without so much attention focused on her. “The boys had crushes on me. They didn’t leave as a group or anything, usually one at a time when they got old enough or saved up enough or they could get a ride out of town.”</p><p>“And you?”</p><p>“They all wanted to speak to me – in private before they left.” Tifa sighed. “I know what a lot of them wanted or hoped for. And I knew I didn’t want to do any of it with them. These were my friends, you know?” Jessie nodded. “The people I grew up with, the people I played with. They wanted a hug or a kiss. Some insisted they’d be back to propose. A few flat out asked me to sleep with them.” Jessie winced. “And I was polite and friendly but firm.”</p><p>“No temptation?”</p><p>“None. I didn’t- Not sure I am now- For anything like that.”</p><p>Jessie scratched her head. “Guess stereotypes really should be avoided. People tend to assume the habits of people in rural places like it sounds you were.”</p><p>Tifa chuckled. “Would it help to note that we had the exact same assumptions about city-dwellers? Especially given some of the TV shows we saw.” She shook her head.</p><p>“So... Going to tell me about him then? Why was he different?” Jessie leant forward.</p><p>“He-“ Gather thoughts. “He never asked me for anything. Didn’t say he was going to propose, didn’t even want a hug.”</p><p>Jessie looked sceptical. “That all?”</p><p>“He was a surprise.” Tifa leant back on her hands. “I knew him more or less, but he wasn’t someone who played with me and my friends. Used to get into fights. Something of a loner. His Mom- People were weirdly prejudiced against her too.” Poor Dala, caught in the blaze.</p><p>“So you never thought he’d ask to see you.” Jessie frowned. “Weren’t you worried? With his reputation?”</p><p>“No. I was so surprised I didn’t even think of not going. He was there early. He told me his dream-“</p><p>“Which was?”</p><p>Any harm in admitted this part? Not much she could see. “He wanted to join SOLDIER. Be like Sephiroth-“ Jessie was frowning down at her bed and missed Tifa’s wince at speaking his name.</p><p>“SOLDIER? That means he’s- Urgh. That must be awkward.” She stared up the ceiling.</p><p>“I don’t think he made it-“ Disappeared somewhere between Nibelheim and Midgar or swallowed up into the city. Her friends – but not his – could not find him according to their letters. She could not find him after a few hasty searches. If he was truly now part of Shinra he should still know about the town, about his mother. She did not trust the company would have been so forthcoming. “Doesn’t seem to be here.”</p><p>“Well, not a huge surprise. If he got in, he’ll be living in Junon with the rest.” Jessie cocked her head to one side. “Might be worth trying to find out if he is.”</p><p>Might. Her heart skipped a beat. Had it been so simple? Cloud unfindable because of the assumption Midgar was the whole of Shinra. Forgetting a military establishment like Junon. Had she had gone straight past him during those unclear months of travel to deposit her here? “Maybe. Not sure if it’s been too long.” Another sigh. “If he did, I bet he’s found someone else. I mean, it’s not like a promised to marry him or anything.”</p><p>“Promise?” Jessie glanced up. “You made him a promise.”</p><p>Oh. Hard to evade now. “No. I didn’t promise him anything. But I-“ Her cheeks warmed further. “I asked him for one. But- Annoyingly I don’t know how I’d react if he fulfilled it now.”</p><p>Jessie frowned. “Okay, now I’m curious.”</p><p>“I asked him to get me out of a pinch if I ever found myself in one – if he achieved his goal of becoming a SOLDIER.”</p><p>“Ah.” Jessie sucked in a deep breath. “So, if that one ever comes to pass, it means you getting out of trouble will involve a SOLDIER swooping in to save you. Not exactly compatible with your general stance on the lot of them.”</p><p>“No.” Tifa shook her head.</p><p>Jessie leant over and patted her hand. “Shame. Could have been this huge romantic gesture if things were different-“</p><p>Tifa’s hand strayed to her chest. Might have been so much different “Yeah.” She forced a smile. “But, you know, fourteen and reading a lot of romance novels and-“</p><p>Jessie held up her hand. “Say no more, I know exactly what you mean.” A sigh. “Thank you for sharing with me though.”</p><p>“And thank you for the same.” An awkward silence, neither sure how to segue to something else. Jessie broke first and picked up her book again; Tifa settled down to pour over the wanted ads once more.</p>
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